crWebBB captures information pertaining to what's playing on the air right now and sends it to a web site or an RDS/RBDS encoder.

Capture Start Play Information

The serial data stream or TCP/IP data stream, whichever is available from the audio delivery system, is used. Connection to the host DCS or Maestro is made either with a direct serial connection or via our rcServer product, which makes the direct connection to the host machine and then "relays" the data to other applications using TCP/IP. For XStudio, a TCP/IP connection is used.

Decide What to Post

Once the identity (cart number) of the item that is playing is known, several methods can be used to determine what kind of information, if any, will be "posted" for further processing by an external application, with the end result being this information appears on a web site in the form of a "What's Playing Now" billboard. Methods include direct information (from Maestro), cart number lookup from the audio system's inventory, a music database contained within crWebBB (and imported from your music scheduling system), and "alternate messages" that are matched to a particular cart category.

For instance, when the application detects the start of play of, say, cart number M100, it can determine what audio type (or "category") this cart falls into - music, promo, jingle, commercial (or whatever else you care to define) - and then determine what kind of information to make available for a web billboard. In the case of a song, the information would be a "slug line", song title and song artist. In the case of a commercial, it could be an "alternate message" that the user has created (3 lines worth) that instead says something like "listen to our radio station for the latest in what's happening at the stores". In the case of a promo, it could be something like "Join our morning crew at the auditorium this Thursday for the big giveaway".

Alternate Messages = Maximum Flexibility

Each audio type (or "category") may have as many alternate messages as desired. Each may have a start date and end date. Messages in a given category are rotated equally among those valid for a given date, with items not valid for a given date being skipped. If desired, you could even define messages that are linked to one specific cart number only - a way to have a message that's specific to one advertiser, for instance.

This scheme extends the possibilities beyond just posting information to the web that relates to a given song title and artist. With crWebBB, you can be creative about information to appear on your web site or RDS encoder for all of the non-music content!

• Use crWebBB with XStudio, DCS, Maestro (v3.0 and above).
• Send song title and artist information to an RDS encoder via serial interface or for selected encoders, TCP/IP.
• Optional software "Block Mode" for RDS PS field to update the field with 8-character blocks of words. User-defined block interval.
• Billboard text can be posted directly to a web site using FTP.
• Two billboard message types can be used, including a user-defined text billboard. The user-defined content layout is completely customizable by the end-user and may be used in combination with the standard text type or in lieu of it.
• Posted information can optionally include the play length of the audio.
• Billboard posting and RDS messages can optionally be limited to music only. Text posting types are controlled individually, as is RDS messaging.
• Embedded music database that can be used for full song title and artist posting, including utilities to import the data, "proper-case" the information and export the data to text or html files. If your music scheduling system can output a music file for use with Maestro™, it likely can be imported in crWebBB.
• Embedded alternate messages database that can be used to send custom messages for non-music content, by user-defined cart categories. Multiple custom messages can be created for each category and rotated, including start and end date sensitivity.
• Music database information can be exported to a variety of formats, including CSV (comma-separated values), HTML and SYLK (for use with spreadsheets).
• As-Run Viewer for review of posting audit data. (part of crWebBB Utility Pack).
• Remote database client for maintenance of music library, information, cart categories, cart masks and alternate messages. (part of crWebBB Utility Pack).
• RDS Receiver Simulator for use in testing RDS message formatting prior to "going live". (part of crWebBB Utility Pack).

Requirements for crWebBB & its host PC:

• Operating System: Windows 2000 Pro, Windows XP, Windows 7or Windows 8.
• CPU: Pentium processor or faster.
• RAM Memory: 128MB RAM or more for Windows 2000 or XP, 1GB RAM for Windows 7 or Windows 8.
• Hard Disk: At least 15 MB free disk space for the application and support files and sufficient available disk space to accommodate your music database (if imported) an alternate messages database.
• LAN card (NIC). Used to retrieve audio inventory information from the host audio system (if enabled), and for TCP/IP communications.
• Serial Ports: An available serial port is required for direct connection to a host DCS or Maestro unit. A second available serial port is required if you wish to send information to an RDS/RBDS encoder.

Host XStudio

Nothing special needs to be done with XStudio in order to use crWebBB to post messages to the web or send data to an RDS encoder. crWebBB obtains play information from XStudio via TCP/IP, so there are no physical connections to be made, nor is there any need to enable the data stream from XStudio as it is always available.

Host DCS or Maestro

The DCS or Maestro unit must have an available, working serial port that can be set up for remote control purposes.

Additional Hardware Required

One or two "null modem" serial cables for connecting to the host audio machine and/or an RDS/RBDS encoder.